Nao

Neo Jessica Joshua aka Nao, who was born on December 20, 1987, was the youngest of five children and of Jamaican, Vincentian, and Grenadian origin. Nonetheless, she was reared as the sole child of her father and mother, who shared parental responsibilities between Nottingham and London. While growing up in a more conservative environment; her three brothers and on sister being the only black kids in school, Nao was still heavily influenced by the garage, grime, 2step, and dancehall type of music and listening to groups such as Pay As U Go and Heartless Crew. As a teenager, Nao would venture to singing classes at a place called Estate of the Arts. From here, she would even go on to do live performances at  open mic nights at the iconic Palace Pavilion.  Following her vocal jazz studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, she began working as a backing vocalist for well-known English bands, including Jarvis Cocker and Kwabs, which sparked her career. From there, Nao left the background vocalist scene and joined The Boxettes, a singing group, for six years till 2014.  A cappella group called The Boxettes, made up of five women, aimed to “crush the girl-band stereotype and create a sound and energy so empowering that every audience is left mesmerized and inspired.” This ensemble mostly performed in the pop and rock genres.  Although she was collaborating and making music with her group, she felt “unfulfilled” and anxious to create her own voice and aesthetic. She fell in love with a new sound infecting London’s electronic underground while performing as a vocalist with electronic producers. Although she was collaborating and making music with her group, she felt “unfulfilled” and anxious to create her own voice and aesthetic. She fell in love with a new sound infecting London’s electronic underground while performing as a vocalist with electronic producers.